Mail chute



y 9, 1933. s. -v. VAN RIPER 1,907,9o6

MAIL CHUTE Filed pril 27,? 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l y 1933. s. v. VAN RIPER, I 1,907,906

MAIL CHUTE Filed April 27, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 je er May 9, 1933.

`S.`.V. V AN RIPER Filed April 27, 1952 Z? f %25 TTORNEY Patente d May 9, 1933 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE( STANLEY V. VAN RIPER, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CUTLER 'MAIL CHUTE CO., OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK MAIL CHUTE Application filed April 27, 1932. Serial No. 607,?71.

My present invention relates to conveyors for small articles and more particularly to mail chutes, and it has for its object to provide a simple and eflicient means for keeping the chute free to an adequate extent from the reception of objects other than mail matter at the point at which the mail is inserted. Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of this character that will not alter the appearance of the chute from the exterior and will not be likely to get out of order when unattended for a considerable period. To these and other ends, the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specificaton.

I'n the drawings: v

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a mail chute section showing the mail receiving opening, which is protected by a device constructed in accordance with' and illustrating one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse or ,horizontal section taken just above the mailing aperture on the line 2-2 of Fig, 1 and showingone embodimentrof 'my invention;

g. 3 s a vew taken from the nteror of the chute of the rear of the casing in which the mailing aperture or letter drop is formed;

Figc his a vertical section through such casing taken substantially on the line *Jr-4 ;of Fig. 3 and showing the parts 'in normal position; I e

Fig. 5 is a similar vewoshowng a piece of mail matter 'passing through the mailing aperture;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a detailed perspective view of one of the. deflecting fingers;

Fig. 8 is a central vertical section through the mail receiving casing of a modified construction of the same invention;

Fig. 9 is a rear view of.-such casing;

Fig. 10 is a horizontal section taken substantial y on ,the ine 10-10 of F g. 9, and

Fig..1l is a horizontal section taken substantally on the line 11--11 of Fig. 9.

Similar reference numerals throughout V held against access to the chute therethrough by unauthorized persons by a locking bar 7 The panelsbeng of'framed glass, a casing 8 is arranged at a convenient heightfin the lower one in which is formed the letter 'drop or mailing aperture 9.

The casing 8 is referably a metal casting 'i projecting forwar ly slightly from the panel so that the'mail receiving opening 9 may be formed in its top wall. ;The panel molding or frame 2 that fits the front of the chute 3 supports this casing in the same manner that it does the glass 6 by embracng lateral extensions 10 thereon that fit within the molding at each side, while at the bottom the %asing rests upon the glass 6, as shown in ig. 4.

Experience in the operation of such mail chutes has developed the fact that for some strange reason people are tempted toand do drop into the mailing aperture bits of trash, such as match sticks, chewing gum wrappers and other paper fragments. In addition to these acts of mischievous or unthinking persons, others maliciously deposit therein lighted cigarettes which` have heretofore gone through to the collection receptacle and damaged the mail matter therei'n to the extent, in some known instances, of kindling a fire thatdestroyed the entire contents. The chute constitutes a natural chimney, as will be at once recognized, creating a draft that induces combustion and increases the fire hazard. Furthermore, both the collecton boxa d the chute pane s being accessible only to representatives of the postoflice, those who discover the fire are usually powerless to reach it.

My invention provides means whereby the letters are properly directed as heretofore from the mailing aperture into the chute, but these undesirable objects so deposited are automatically diverted and discharged to the exterior so that they fall to the floor at the feet of the offending person.

In the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 7, an opening 11 similar to the opening 9 but formed in the bottom wall of the casting 8 is separated from said opening by an intermediate partition 12 constituted, in the present instance, by an inclined plate, the upper edge of which is secured to the wall of the casting as by screws 13. Formed in this plate are the usual spurs 14 adj acent to the receiving opening to prevent newspapers and other bulky matter, for which the chute is not intended, from being forced therein. This plate, together with a short back plate or apron 15 extending across the casting, forms a passage 16 from the receiving opening 9 to the chute 3 through which the mail matter passes, being deflected rearwardly by the partition.

In the practice of my invention, I provide in passage 16 a trap communicating therewith and adapted to intercept cigarette stubs and other small articles of litter deposited in the receiving aperture. To this end, the wall 12 of the passage at the top is formed with a plurality of openings 17 `with thin, intervening portions 18 separating them, or it may be said that there is a transverse slot or opening 17 bridged by narrow bars 18. These are made strong by fianging them as the openings are stamped therein,

as shown, the idea being that they shall obstruct as little as possible while still defiectingproper mail matter into the chute. Adjacent to this opening and to the receiving opening 9 I arrange what, in efl'ect, is a weighing device that allows proper mail matter, such as' envelopes, to pass freely through the passage 16 but diverts small articles, such as cigarette ends, bits of paper, et cetera, through the openings 17, so they fall out of the discharge aperture 11 exteriorly of the chute.

In the present instance, a casing 8 is spanned at its top in re'ar of the letter opening 9 by a shaft 19 upon which are loosely pivoted a plurality of depending fingers 20 arranged closely side by side to normally present a substantially continuous surface in the manner of a gate. Byweighting the upper rear portions of these ingers (shown in detail in Fig. 7) they hang so that their attenuated lower ends incline forwardly toward or against the open portion 17 of plate 12. The small light articles nentioned are thns defieeted and pass through the opening but, as shown in Fig. 5, the fingers are easily displaced by an envelope E and the passage 16 opened for its direct progress into t e chute.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the bearings for the shaft 19 are formed by L-shaped grooves 21 in the side walls of the cast-ing 8 opening at the rear so that the fingers may be assembled on the shaft as a unit and the latter inserted before the back plate 15 is applied. Of course, the fingers may have any suitable form to hold them, preferably by gravity, in the normal position of Fig. 4 to yieldingly block the passage 16.

In the embodiment of Figs. 8 to 11, the Construction and mode of operation is substantially the same and the same reference numerals have been applied to the major 'parts where consistent. The principal difference lies in the fact that the opening 17 a in the partition plate 12 is continuous and the gate element 20 of the weighing or defiecting obstruction in mail passage 16 is made of an integral curved plate having forwardly or outwardly turned lateral ears 22 by which it pivots on pins 23 projeeting from the side walls of the casing. The top of partition member 12 terminates with the opening 17 and above it an inclined apron 24 adjacent to the receiving aperture 9 prevents the letters inserted through the latter from passing through or engaging with the opening 17 a instead of travelling the passage 16 to the chute.

In this case, the spurs 14 may be formed on the back plate 15 with equal eifect, in which case they also prevent forcible contact of objects with the upper edge of the deflecto 20 'I have above described my invention as embodied in the letter drops or mail apertures of a mail chute, which drops are, of course, duplicated on the various floors through which the chute extends in a building to conduct mail, as aforesaid, toa common collection receptacle on the ground floor of the building. Such receptacles are usually themselves equipped wth letter openings for the deposit of mail, and it is obvious that such openings can as well be provided with the same means in accordance with my invention for eliminating the deposit of small articles other than mail matter.

I claim as m'y invention:

1. The combination with a mail chute having a mail receiving aperture leading to the interier of the chute and a delivery aperture below the same adapted to discharge exteriorly of the chute, of means intermediate said apertures adaptcd to be displaccd by a piece of nail matter inserted in the mail rcceiving apcrturc for directing small objectssimilarly introduced to the discharge aperture.

2. The conbination with a mail chute having a mail receiving aperture and a passage leading therefrom to the interior of the chute and with a delivery aperture below the firstnamed aperture adapted to discharge exteriorly of the chute, there being communication between said passage and the discharge aperture, of a weighing device Operating in the passage to normally direct light foreign matter deposited in the mailing aperture to the delivery aperture but adapted to be displaced by mail matterand permit its passage to the chute. v i

3. The cmbination with a mail chute having a mail receiving aperture and a passage leading therefrom to the interior of the chute and with a delivery aperture below the first named aperture adapted to discharge exteriorly of the chute, there being 'communication between said passage and the discharge aperture, of a gravitationally operated pivoted element in the passage acting normally to direct light objects deposited in the mailing aperture to the delivery aperture but adapted to be displaced by mail matter so depositecl and permit its passage to the chute.

4. In a mail chute, the combination with a chute section and a casing attached thereto and having a mail receiving aperture at the top and a discharge aperture at the bottom opening exteriorly of the chute, of apartition between the apertures by which mail matter is guided from the receiving aperture into the chute, said partition being provided with an opening and a yielding device adjacent thereto adapted to be displaced by such mail matter but acting to divert small light articles through the opening te" the dis charge aperture.

5. In a mail chute, the combination with a chute section and a casing attached thereto mail matter and permit its mail receiving element.

7. The combination with a mail chute having a mail receiving aperture anda passage leading therefrom to the interior of the chute, of a trap communicating with said passage adapted to intercept cigarette stubs and other small articles of litter deposted in the receiving aperture.

8. The combination'with a mail chute having a mail receiving aperture leading to the interior of the chute and a delivery aperture below the same adapted to discharge exteriorly of the chute, of a device arranged between the two apertures adapted to block access' of usual mail matter inserted through the upper receiving aperture from passage to the lower discharge aperture while permitting passage of small objects, such as litter, similarly introduced to and through the discharge aperture.

9. In a mail chute, the combination with a chute section and a casing attached thereto to project forwardly therefrom and having a mail receiving` aperture at the top and a diseharge aperture at the bottom opening exteriorly of the chute, of interspersed means intermediate said apertures for directing pieces of mail inserted in the mail 'receiving aperture into the chute while .permitting relpassage to the atively small objects similarly introduced to pass it and fall through the 'discharge aperture.

STANLEY V. VAN RIPER.

and having a mail receiving aperture at the top and a discharge aperture at the bottom opening exteriorly of the chute of a partition between the 'apertures by which mail matter is guided from the receiving aperture into the chute, said partition being provided with an opening and a pivoted deflector ad- ]'acent thereto normally positioned to divert small and light articles inserted in the mailing aperture through the opening to the discharge aperture but adapted to be displaced by mail matter similarly inserted.

6. The combination with a mail receivi'ng element provided with a letter drop aperture and a passage leading therefrom to the interior of such element and with a delivery aperture below the first named aperture ar- 'anged to discharge exteriorly of such element, there being communication between said passage and the discharge aperturefof a weighing device Operating in the passage to normally direct light foreign matter deposited in th'e mailing aperture to the delivery aperture but adapted to be-displaced by v wo 

